Target Clearance

Hi Readers!

You might already know that Target has a huge clearance in almost every department during January.  This usually starts the first week or two of January with many things 30% off and some 50% off.  The next week things are further marked to down in the 30, 50, and 70% range. 

Today the toy clearance is marked down to 70% at most Targets!

I've been visiting several targets keeping an eye on things, but mostly I've been watching this great Target website.  The gal writing the blog is local, too! 

 I can't actually shop today (double drat!) because one of our cars is in the shop and DH has the working one.  But if any of you go I'd love to hear about your deals!

There is clearance all over the store so check those endcaps in home decor, kitchen, stationary, clothing, shoes, hosiery, and baby while your checking out the toys!

Here are some deals I got last week:

The playdough was only 30% off.  3 specialty tubs were $2.08 and the accessory gadget was $3.84.
The little hat is a gift for a 4th baby/3rd son - it was only $3.00.
The plastic box of tools was 50% off and cost $9.98.  I love this!  I wish I knew more kids heading off to college that I could give it to.
Finally, the Disney Princess tracing fashion was 50% off costing $7.48.  This will be DD#3's "big gift" at her birthday this spring.

Did you know the non-math trick to see the percentage off?  On the upper right corner of the red clearance tag it will say 10, 30, 50, or 70. 

Katie

Bean Stockpile

My mom gave me a bin of really old beans sometime last year.  I had labeled them "OLD - Use first" back in June 2011 when she bought a bunch of new bulk beans.  I think it was when I visited her in March 2012 when I saw the bin, untouched still in her pantry.  Anyway, she explicitly told me that the Tupperware bin was HERS and I had to return it.  So every time I saw it in my pantry I remembered that she needed it back.  I had been using the beans up and finally, in December, I decided to return it to her.

There were a good amount of beans left so I cooked them up and put them in the freezer.  Here's a photo of about 20 cooked cups of beans.  I put these in my freezer and I can pull them out and use them when a recipe calls for a can of red beans or kidney beans.  Dry beans are ridiculously cheap compared to canned.  If you want to eat organically, dry beans are an affordable staple because a pound costs maybe $3 and makes about 12 cooked cups.

Here's the empty bin.   When I joyfully returned it to Mom she said, "Oh, I forgot you had that.  I guess I don't really need it, but thanks."  Doh!  I could totally use it with all my bulk food purchases, but this way I'm limited in how much I can accumulate; always a good thing.

Katie

Recycled Gift Wrap

Here a few more photos of my recycled gift wrapping efforts this Christmas.  I think they looked pretty good, but I do really miss the joy of giving a beautifully wrapped gift. 

These packages went to New York to my cousin and his family.

These went to Colorado to my sister-in-love, her immediate family, and my parents in-love who were at her house for Christmas.

 

Overall I thought they turned out pretty well, and I got to use lots of  ribbon bits as well as reusing plain paper.

Katie

Monday Menu Plan

Am I supposed to be figuring out dinner at 5PM?  Hm.

Dinners:
M - Biscuits & Sausage Gravy
T - Egg Casserole (tater tots in freezer, plenty of eggs, ham in freezer)
W - Baked Pasta
D - Pancakes
F - Easy Pot Pie (mom out)
S - Burgers
S - Dinner at Aunt's house

Lunches:
M - already ate nachos
T - Ravioli
W -Waffles
D - Packed Lunch (nuggets or sandwiches)
F - Cheesy Bread
S - Leftovers
S - Lunch at Aunt's house

Katie

Weekend Shopping

We were on vacation the first week on January, but were staying with family and didn't have to eat out all the time.  I took along a cooler of food and did a little grocery shopping to supplement so I could make dinner most nights.

I spent $15.85 that first day, then $8.39 later in the week.  I went one last time the morning we left to replenish my in-laws' butter, bananas, & lunchmeat that we had depleted.  I spent $16.83 on those things and a couple other clearance deals (holiday creamer and marshmallows) to bring home.

Total spent the week were gone: $41.07

This week our milk delivery was $11.16 and I paid $5 for 3 dozen eggs from my friend's free-range chickens.  I spent $5.41 when I dashed into Fred Meyer for lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and olives for a salad I was making and then $40.61 yesterday on all this:

Cucumber - $.79
Apples - $.88/lb
Onions - $1.99 for 5 lb bag (needed for meal swap)
Cheese - $4.99 each 2 lb brick
Banana - $.64/lb
ID Creamer - $1.79 each
Mocha Mix - $1.49
Corn - $1.68 each for 2 lb bags (needed for meal swap)
Carrots - $.99 for 2 lb bag
Sausage - $1.49 each for 1 lb chubs (too good a deal to skip)

This week I spent $62.18.

I also put $10 cash away last week and this week for summer produce bulk purchases.

Katie

January Update

So I did poorly on my goals in December.  I didn't want to stress over Christmas and my non-stress plan is usually to intentionally step back from the 'extras' so I don't beat myself up for failing. 

My first goal was to spend $50/week on groceries so I could cover Christmas costs more effectively.  Did I meet this goal?  Heck no!  There were way too many good deals on baking ingredients, a dinner party, and a meat & cheese tray for another event.  I don't know how much I DID spend, but it was way more than $50/week.

My second goal was to save 1% toward our savings goal.  Ha!  The good news is that we didn't have to take anything out of savings!  Seriously, though.  I put $12 in the savings account.

Goal #3 was to pay for 2 airline tickets .  Check!

Goal #4 was to finish the office organization.  A big Nope.  Two boxes are left and are still sitting there. 

Finally, I wanted to keep a thankful list but I didn't manage that either.  Certainly there were many things to be thankful but I didn't write anything down.

For January my goals are simple.
1. Save something to add to our emergency fund
2. Have 2 solid weeks of homeschool for the kids, planned in advance and well-executed.
3. At least 10 days of Project Twenty Six.  I just need to wrap that up and 10 days is a good dent in what's left.
4. Finish the office organization.

Katie

True Cost of Food

My friend, Kracinda, who is also a reader asked recently what I ACTUALLY spent on groceries, including all the bulk purchases in the summer for canning.

I thought it was a good question and kind of surprised myself by not knowing the answer.  I used to keep meticulous track of every line item in the budget, but a couple of years ago DH wanted to have more input and he reworked our budget Excel spreadsheet so that it made sense to him.  It didn't include a cumulative annual total for each line item like my old one did.

I also got my "own" checking account shortly after DH took a budget interest so that there would be far fewer line items in the budget.  All of the household expenses including groceries, stuff for the house, paper products, clothes, gifts, etc are now lumped into "Katie's Allowance" with a transfer to that other account.  I don't budget that account other than trying to keep my grocery spending to $60 each week.

• I also have a bigger spending week now and then when a particular sale is too good to pass up and I stock up on something.  I SHOULD spend less on the other groceries that week or eat from the pantry & freezer the following week.  But in reality I just spend more on groceries that week.  
• In addition to those bigger spending weeks I have a few really huge purchases for canning/preserving in late summer.  Usually $60 for blueberries, at least $100 for peaches, and varying amounts for apples & pears depending on what I want to can and what I can glean or am given by friends with trees.  
• I also recently started getting milk delivery which runs $11.14 per week for very fresh, conventional instead of paying $10.78 at the store for two gallons of organic.  I'm still undecided on that, but am keeping the service for now.
• There are also some small costs related to the garden, like buying compost and seeds.  And there are costs to canning, like buying seals.

All told I estimate that I spent between $4,000 and $4,300 on food in 2012 not including eating out.

But it's really bugging me that I don't know an exact number so a 2013 goal is to keep track of my ACTUAL spending on food.  I think I'll still try to spend $60/week on regular groceries plus the $11ish for milk delivery or milk if I end up switching back to purchasing.  I also want to set aside at least $10/week for bulk purchases in the summer.

Gah!  Am I making more work for myself or will this be good?  Plan each week: Get $80 cash out of bank.  $60 for groceries, $10 to set aside for summer produce, $10 for another cash stash or grocery overage.  Post here each Sunday night for accountability.

Katie

Katie

Monday Menu Plan

We have been out of town so this week's meals are a bit up in the air still . . .

Monday - Dinner out on our way home
Tuesday - Pizza
Wednesday - Pulled Pork
Thursday - French Toast
Friday - Big Salad to Potluck
Saturday - Freezer Meal (also making meals for swap today)
Sunday - Popcorn & Smoothies

Lunches:
Monday - Leftovers
Tuesday - Sandwiches
Wednesday - Quesadilla
Thurday - Chicken Nuggets
Friday - Mac'n'cheese
Saturday - Grilled Cheese
Sunday - PBJ

I can't believe it's been 4 weeks since I posted!  Clearly the holidays had me hopping.  I have lots of new ideas and goals for the new year I am excited to share about, but it will have to wait for another day. 

Katie